Global Fund pledges Sh17.7 billion to fight TB

By Elizabeth Mwai

The Global Fund is in the process of signing a Sh17.7 billion grant with Kenya to boost the fight against tuberculosis (TB).

Global Fund Country Programmes Director Fareed Abdulla said this is the round nine tranche the country will receive to tackle the disease, which is the number one killer for HIV and Aids patients.

"We are sending a clear signal that the working relations between Kenya and the Global Fund have improved and have reached agreements to re-programme our grants to also address HIV and malaria," said Dr Abdulla yesterday.

Speaking at a city hotel during a workshop to address Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT), Abdulla said the money would be granted over the next two years to treat and curb the spread of TB.

Tuberculosis experts have decried the spread of the disease with an estimated 116,000 new infections being reported annually.

But of most concern is the development of the drug resistant strains, which are more costly and take longer to treat.

Abdulla said the call for Global Fund round ten was announced in May and countries such as Kenya are encouraged to apply before the deadline, which is in August.

"Global Fund will finance round ten despite the skewed economic difficulty and we have placed no cuts," he said.

Protect children

Kenya has already lost about Sh49 million from the Global Fund due to weak round eight and nine proposals.

But he said emphasis would be placed on PMTCT to stop infection among children globally.

Experts from 20 African countries who share 85 per cent of the global burden of mother-to-child transmission of HIV have been meeting in Nairobi for the past two days to brainstorm on workable strategies to stop new infections among infants.

There have been reports of resistant strains of the disease in parts of the country and the Ministry of Health has stepped up the fight.

Poor ventilation, lack of sunlight and living in crowded areas contribute to conditions for the TB bacteria to thrive.

This explains why the disease breaks out in prisons and other crowded areas. Personal hygiene and eating properly cooked food is advised to curb prevention.